Hinterland

Stunning, gripping, dynamic - excellent acting with gripping plot lines against the backdrop of a beautiful but bleak Wales.

The weather with all it's moods, a tumultuous seascape and vast barrenness of the Welsh landscape, this series achieves it's aims of the stories that emerge from the land and it's people; new views of the places and faces of Wales - and it's bilingual - to listen to the cadence of the Welsh accent alongside English enhances cultural understanding.

The cinematography is wonderful, testament to the commitment to a visual expression of culture, time, place and it's people. Outstanding.

Why is there not more?

For those asking, yes the series will continue, not least because the Scands want it to after it was sold to Denmark. The actors say it was the hardest thing they have done, filming it back-to-back in Welsh and then English, but was well worth it.

Hinterland not only refers to the setting in the hills and sea coasts around Aberystwyth and Mid-Wales but to the plot lines where all the crimes have a backstory or hinterland of their own. It also refers to each individual character and not just the leads. There is no cardboard cut-out anywhere and all have motives and biases deeply rooted in the unknown, thus far, past which has made them who they are. I know a real-life person just like every character portrayed so far, got them spot on.

If you like shoot-em-up all-action fantasy this is not for you since scenes can be silent and slow, revealing emotion and thought processes but if you have any liking for fringe cultures such as Scandinavian noir then dig in. The tension is often unbearable not least the tension waiting for the next series.

I am in Wales, so get this as standard. It is too good to be shown in Wales only and on i-player. Hinterland is one of the best dramas to come out of the BBC for many years. If you love the wave of scandi dramas you will absolutely love Hinterland, filmed in the same way, it is naturally dark and moody, with gritty story lines, and a level of acting that will surprise you and make you want to come back for more. Richard Harrington is massively charismatic as lead character DCI Mathias, and the supporting cast are always equally as good. A word on the filming, it is top notch, beautifully done, but then they were never going to fail with the glorious mid Wales setting.

I cannot help but love this series.

It is taciturn and bleak - and must have been derived from Scandi-noir. There are some duff episodes, but it continues to redeem itself. Patently, they never film in summer - I cannot imagine that Aberystwyth labours under a perpetual gloom - but like 'The Killing' it always seems brooding and gloomy.

I would like it to be a little more shocking in effect, but suspect it has to be aimed at a mainstream audience so can't tread that path.

It could be more expansive in the intricacies of the plot, and build the relationships of the protagonists - the latter appear to be much the same as episode one regardless of the passage of time.

Whatever, I really, really like it.

Hinderland is brilliant- many American murder shows pale in comparison. But you have to like beautiful moody landscapes that mirror the people in them. Too many American shows are all about sex,shooting and cute chummy buddy scenes and pretty tourist places. If you don't want to think or be engaged you won't like it. But I find the series viscerally moving and thought provoking-so I love it and can't wait for the next one. The layers of personal history the series unravel and peel back, reveal truths about humanity we sometimes like to forget. The series does not trivialize the flaws and broken parts of the characters, rather the story line uncovers where things went wrong in the first place. True to life, it shows you how easy it can be to go off the rails.